Method and machine for gloss coating paper



Au 21, 1928. I 1,681,350

E. W. LABOMBARDE IE'I'HOD AND MACHINE FOR GLOSS COATING PAPER Original Filed March 2- 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,350

E. w. LABOMBARDE ram-non AND MACHINE FOR GLOSS COATING PAPER Oi iginal Filed March B- 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR i ATTORNEY;

Patented Aug. 21, i928.

UNITED STATES ELIE W. LABOMBARDE, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

METHOD AND MACHINE- ron GLOSS COATING PAPER.

Application filed March 2, 1922, Serial No. 540.604. Renewed January 16, 1928..

This invention relates to the production.

or blanks, has involved the immersion of the paper in melted parailine which will be hereinafter inclusively referred to by the generic term wax. Such immersion, even when effected at the highest practical speed, has one or both of two objectionable results,

viz: it causes the paper to absorb more wax than is necessary to render it moisture proof even when high grade paper is being treated, thereby wasting wax; and it causes the paper to exhibit shady areas or spots where. the wax is absorbed more deeply than elsewhere. This latter defect exists more prominently when the paper or board stock is of a cheap or low grade kind sometimes used for cartons. That is, the cartons look discolored because the material is not uniform as to porosity and the wax enters deeper into the paper where. it is most porous.

A further objectionable result of the immersion method is that when the usual tapes or string belts are used to carry the blanks through melted wax, the said carriers leave darker marks or stripes Where they contested with the paper. This is because said 0 carriers are necessarily quite heavily coated with wax since they travel continuously into and through and return out of, the hot wax. They carry the blanks down into and lift them out of the hot wax and are therefore in contact with the blanks for a longer period than the time of immersion and consequently the wax has a longer time to soak in, along the lines of the carriers, than it has on those portions of the blanks between the carriers.

In accordance with my invention I donot immerse or dip the paper (hereinafter inclusively referred to as blanks), but flood it with an intermediate or uncontrolled quantity of hot wax while travelling, re- 5 move excess Wax, and immediately sub ect erably and conveniently a bath of cold Water.

By the term flooding as used herein, I

mean that the blanks are directly deluged with such quantity of the wax that some of it overflows prior to the removal of the excess or surplus wax. The flooding operation on any blank, in practice, lasts only about one-third of a second due to the speed of travel of the blanks and therefore the wax has no time to gain access to the texture of the paper or board stock below the surface thereof. It remains entirely on the surfaces in the form of very thin films which are quickly congealed by the action of the cold water so as to present a high finish or gloss.

One of the objects of the present invention is to. provide blanks for conversion into pa per boxes, which blanks are so waterproofed that the boxes will need no waxed paper coverings, or other wrapping, to keep the contents of the boxes dry or to exhibit printed matter or ornamental designs. In other words, the boxes themselves carry the printed matter and also present glossy surfaces. 7

Another object is to provide blanks which, although carrying a very small amount of wax, are reliably moisture-proof.

Another object is to provide moistureproof blanks having a uniform surface appearance, without dark areas.

lVith these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the method and the machine or apparatus substantially as hereinafter described and claimed. Incidental thereto, my invention also consists in the improved blank substantially as claimed hereinafter.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine in one of its embodiments.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2- of Figure 1. Figure 3 represents a section of one of the rollson a larger scale than in Figure 2. Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the opposite surfaces of a blank treated by the machine. I

At one end of" a suitable frame 12 is a table 13 for blanks to be treated. The table is wide (Fig. 1) so that it may support a plurality of piles of blanks side by s de. or a single pile of wide large blanks. The table is pivotally supported on a rod 14 to enable it to be adjusted to the desired degree of inclination and held so by a strut or rod 16 passing, through a clamp sleeve mounted upon one of several tie rods 18. The blanks from the table pass successively over leaders 19 as they are drawn from the bottom of the pile or piles by feed wheels 20 carried by shaft 21. Below each feed wheel is a small roll 22 carried by an elbow lever 23 mounted on the rod 14 and having a spring 24 connected to it. As this feed mechanism is not claimed herein, further description thereof will be unnecessary.

The blanks are fed toward rolls above, and extending substantially the full width of, a pan 25 in which wax is kept melted by steam or by water in a chamber 26. lien water is used in the chamber 26 it may be kept hot by any suitable means such as gas burners one of which is indicated at 27 (Fig. 2). The cold water tank where the wax on the blanks is congealed is indicated at 28.

Above the wax basin 25 and mounted in suitable bearings supported by the frame, are the long rolls above referred to. They are driven in the direction of the indication arrows by suitable gears and chain connections not necessary to describe in detail. Three pairs of the rolls are illustrated, but there may be a different number. The lower rolls 29 of the first two pairs between which the blanks pass, dip into the hot wax in the basin 25 and elevate wax therefrom while the upper rolls 30 of said two pairs receive hot wax from overhead pipes presently described. The lower roll 31 of the third pair also dips in the wax basin and.

the upper cooperating roll 32 of that pair also receives hot wax delivered from above. The said roll 32 is yieldingly mounted in the upper arms of elbow levers 33 having their fulcrums in alinement with the axis of roll 31, the other ends 34 of the arms or levers being slotted to receive screws whereby the elbow levers may be adjusted to hold the roll 32 swung more or less toward the water tank 28 as may be necessitated by the size or character of the blanks to be treated. The reason for this will be explained hereinat'ter.

Above the several pairs of rolls is a system of perforated piping 35 communicating through a pipe 36 (Fig. 1) with a pump 37 in a wax reservoir 38, the shaft 39 of the pump extending through the wall of the reservoir and having a pulley which is connected by a belt 40 with a pulley 41 on the main or other shaft 42 of the machine. By any suitable connections and constant level device the level of melted wax in the basin 25 is kept at the proper height to enable the rolls 29 and 31 to take up an ample quantity of wax, while the pump 37 maintains a circulation of wax from basin 25 (through :1

the pairs are so adjusted relatively as to move the blanks along without su jecting them to any such pressure as would force wax below the surfaces of the blanks. This is true although the pair 31, 32 are hereinafter referred to as squeeze rolls. Said rolls 31, 32, are so set relatively to each other as to remove surplus wax from th" blanks after they have been flooded, so that said surplus will drop back into the basin The speed at which the blanks travel is such that they are quite forcibly thrown or ejected by the rolls 31, 32, edgewise down into cold water which nearly fills the tank 28, and they are directed by said rolls under and adj aeent to a large roll 43 which is partially immersed in the water and is driven. as hereinafter described, at a peripheral speed to agitate the water where the blanks enter it. The roll 43 is supported by arms 44 pivoted at 45 to brackets 46 mounted on the side walls of ti??? water tank, and may be adjusted by any suitable means. By adjusting the arms or levers 33 which support the roll 32, the latter may be set to cause the blanks to accurately reach the water close to the near side of the high-speed large roll 43. The water agitation produced by the roll 43 not only ensures the presence 0'1 cold water at the point where the blanks enter it, but also effects the existence of a constant current of water in a direction tending to carry the blanks well below the surface of the water.

The blanks, such as indicated at a (I, then pass under a series of immersed rolls 47 preferably idly mounted, suitable guiding tapes 48 being also preferably employed, but only below the rolls 47. Said rolls 47 can leave no marks upon the blanks such as are usually left by tapes, and the tapes 48 leave no readily perceptible marks because the surfaces of the films of wax on the blanks are so instantly set or congealed when they first strike or enter the agitated current of water near the roll 43 that the high finish or gloss of said surfaces is not noticeably affected by contact with the guiding tapes. The rolls 47 above the tapes can leave no marks at all. The latter are employed III) chiefly to ensure retention of the blanks below the surface of the water long enough to fully eongeal the films of wax throughout their slight thickness.

The tapes, are mounted at one end on a roll 49 and their lower stretches pass under a roll 50 and a tightener roll 51 carried by arms 52 mounted in the tank. The other ends of the tapes are mounted on a roll 53 above which is a roll 54. From the tapes and the roll 54: the blanks pass between rolls 55, 56, which deliver them on a receiving belt 57 mounted on rolls at the ends of frame bars 58 supported by legs or standards 59.

The agitating and blank-deflecting roll 43 may be driven at the requisite relatively high speed in any suitable manner. For instance,

as shown in Figure 1, a belt 60 may drive it from the roll 54. Said belt does not appear in Figure 2.because of the line of section on Which the latter is drawn.

For some purposes, as will presently be explained, all of the rolls above the wax basin will be covered with felt or cheese cloth as indicated in Figure 3, in order to carrymore waxon their peripheries than could be carried by uncovered metal. In said Figure 3 I illustrate how the cloth is mounted on roll 32, it being understood that all the other rolls, when -cl0th covered, will have such cloth similarly mounted. The roll is formed with a groove or recess 61 extending its entire length. One edge of a piece of material 62, such as felt or cheese cloth or other suitable material, is laid in the groove and gripped there by a key strip 63 secured by suitable means such as screws. After so securing one edge, the cloth is wrapped snugly around the roll at least once and a little more so that its other edge extends over and beyond the key strip. When first applied, the free edge of the cloth can be made to adhere by the application of a little melted wax. Afterwards, the wax accumulated by the rotation of the roll holds the free edge in place. The direction of wrapping is such, relatively to the direction in which the roll rotates, that in operation there is no tend ency of the free edge to curl or roll up. In other words the free edge extends in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation. When the machine is in operation, the rotation tends to keep the cloth snugly fitted to the roll and free from wrinkles.

If the rolls 31, 32, which are referred to as squeeze rolls because they squeeze off the surplus Wax which has been poured or flooded onto the blanks in excess quantity, are unprovided with cloth coverings, or if coverings which were on them are removed, the result will not be to produce finished blanks with glossy surfaces because said rolls then squeeze off too much wax to eventually exhibit a fine reflecting surface. If coated blanks aredesired with dull surfaces, the

rolls 31, 32, will have their cloth coverings removed. When both of the rolls 31, 32, are cloth covered, the coated blanks produced,

issuing from the water bat-l1, will have very By removing one of such' required to waterproof the surfaces of the blanks which are to be inside the boxes when made up, means considerable saving. I believe I am the first to produce blanks for paper boxes which, although both the inside and the outsid e of each box is coated, only the outside, which shows on the set up box, is glossy.

The outside surface may be caused, by refiection therefrom, to exhibit a pattern. This is obtained by employing suitable cloth (cheese cloth for instance) for the covering of one of the squeeze rolls. The blanks pass so quickly from the squeeze rolls into cold water that surface lines formed in the coating by said cloth do not have time to smooth out before being rendered permanent by the congealing effect of the water.

The result of directly flooding the blanks instead of dipping or immersing them or depending upon the action of rolls which deliver gaged films of wax to blanks passing between such rolls, that said blanks, do not get heated to the inside or core, and the quick removal of the surplus wax and sudden immersion in cold water renders it impossible for the wax to more than moi-e1 y adhere to the surfaces of the paper stock. The blanks are not soaked in wax as when immersed, nor is the wax driven in by the pressure of any wax-applying rolls. I am therefore able to obtain moisture-proof blanks carryingthe minimum amountof wax and with no dark (soaked) spots, and having one or both surfaces ver glossy.

In operation both surfaces 0 the blanks are practically deluged or flooded with wax in free motion because the wax reaches the blanks in xcess quantity when it strikes said surfaces. This avoids the soaking results of paper being dipped or immersed in hot wax or having the wax pressed into it by rolls. The surplus is removed evenly by the rolls 31, 32, and the blanks are then successively plunged into a body of water which can never become lukewarm because of the current produced by the roll 43 at the point where the blanks enter it, which current, at

IOU

the same time, aids in directing the blanks into a path which causes them to remain under water long enough to solidify the films of wax.

A new function or result accomplished by the employment of a plurality of pairs of rolls, and supplying the blanks with an excess of melted wax, instead of employing a single pair of rolls which themselves not only feed the blanks but also carry all the wax which ever reached the blanks, is that the said plurality of rolls suifice to cause the blanks totravel without subjecting them to pressure tending to force the wax below the surfaces of the blanks.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of producing moistureproof paper, consisting in flooding the paper with an indeterminate quantity of melted wax in free motion, without subjecting the paper to immersionin the wax, removing surplus wax from both surfaces of the paper, and cooling the wax before it is absorbed by the paper.

2. The method of producin moistureproof blanks, consisting in flbodin the blanks with an indeterminate quantity of melted wax in free motion, without subjecting the paper to immersion in the wax, removing surplus wax, and then plunging the coated blanks into a body of agitated cool water.

3. The method of producing moistureproof blanks having one surface more heavily coated than the other, consisting in flooding the blanks with an indeterminate quantity of melted wax in free motion, removing surplus wax While permitting more to remain on one surface than on the other, and then cooling the wax before it is absorbed by the blanks.

4. A machine for coating paper, comprising a plurality of pairs of rolls for advancing the paper, means for supplying all of said rolls with an excess of melted wax, the last pair of rolls being relatively positioned to remove surplus wax, and a water tank for receiving the paper from the said last pair of rolls.

5. A machine for coating blanks, comprising a plurality of pairs of rolls, means for feeding blanks thereto, means for supplying all of said rolls with an excess of melted wax, the last pair of rolls being relatively positioned to remove surplus wax, and a water tank for receiving the blanks from said last pair of rolls.

(5. A machine for coating blanks, comprising a wax basin, a plurality of pairs of rolls the lower ones of which are located to dip into said basin, means for flooding all of the upper rolls with melted wax, and a water tank in position to receive blanks from said rolls.

7. A machine for coating blanks, comprising a wax basin, aplurality of pairs of rolls the lower ones of which are located to dip into the basin, a system of perforated pipes above the upper rolls, a wax reservoir and means for heating it, and a pump having connections to draw melted wax from the reservoir and deliver it to said pipe system. 8. A machine for producing wax-coated box blanks having a thicker coating on one surface than the other, said machine includ-- ing a pair of rolls one of said rolls having an absorbent surface and the other having a relatively non-absorbent surface, means for supplying said rolls with melted wax, and means for'causing the blanks to pass between said rolls.

9. A machine for producing box blanks having one surface glossy and the other surface dull, said machine including a pair of rolls one of said rolls having an absorbcnt' surface and the other having a relatively non-absorbent surface, means for supplying said rolls with melted wax, means for causing the blanks to pass between said rolls, and means for chilling the blanks issuing from between said rolls.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ELIE W. LABOMBARDE. 

